Why should you take your time finding the right team for your athlete? Utah State University concluded a survey and found that most kids quit playing a sport within three years because of either:
- Bad coaches
- Lack of fun
Parents may also face financial pressures that require their children to quit. Finding the right team is essential if you hope for your child to develop into the best athletes they can be.
What Parents Should Think About When Looking for Their Child’s Sports Team
As a parent, you must think about the following when searching for your child’s team:
- Coach qualifications: Has the coach been coaching for years, or are they new? If they’re new, what qualifications make them a good coach? The right coach makes a world of difference whether the team wins or loses.
- Club history: What is the history of the club? Is the club known for its good players, or do players leave every season because of internal problems?
- Development: What is player development like on the team? Do players get opportunities to guest play for other teams? Do players have the opportunity to get more playing time, or do the team’s players fail to excel year after year?
Do you want to know more about finding the perfect team for your child? Read our post to learn more about what you should search for to find the “perfect” team.
What Happens If Your Child Joins a Team They Don’t Like?
Parents can do everything in their power to join a team that their child will love, but there’s no guarantee that your child will like a team. If your child decides they want to quit or change teams, parents must question whether costs will be refunded. Most teams have a no-refund policy, so you’ll most likely lose out on the fees you pay.
If your child still enjoys the sport, you may want to consider:
- Talking to your child and reinforcing that they should complete the season
- Change teams as soon as you can
If the team does allow a refund on fees, you might want to consider changing teams as early as possible. Many parents are pulling their kids out of sports because they end up spending hundreds if not thousands of dollars on sports activities per year for their children.
You need to decide what’s best for you and your child if money is an issue. Staying on the team may be better than missing a year if you can’t afford to have your athlete join another team mid-season.
The Importance of Finding the Right Team for Your Athlete
If you find the right team for your child, with a good coach, you’ll lower your risk of your child quitting a team. The right team for your athlete will help your child develop as an athlete, build long-lasting friendships and remain physically fit.
Parents that take an active role in choosing their child’s sports team, especially in the initial years of joining a sport, can increase their child’s chances of having fun and continuing to play the sport they love.
The risk of joining the wrong team is having your child loose interest in or quit a sport that they could potentially love and excel in.
When the time comes to look for a new sports team, take advance of Sports Bridge the #1 platform for finding teams in your area, Sports Bridge gives you the most information about a team and coach, be armed with more information than ever before even speaking to a coach.